Rail-joint.



PATENTED DECQIB, 1903.

Y N. AL-M.

RAIL JOINT AITPLIO ATION PILED'APB..' 11. 1903.

no MODEL.

Patented December 15, 1903.

NILS A. ALM, OF KURTZ, MINNESOTA.

AlL JOlNT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 747,115, dated December 15, 1903.

Application filed April 11, 1908.

To all, whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, NILs A. ALM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kurtz, in the county of Clay and State of Minnesota, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in rail-joints; and its object is to provide rails the ends of which are of novel construction and adapted to interlock and overlap, so as to prevent the sagging thereof and dispense with the use of fish plates or other similar joining means.

The invention consists in providing a forwardly-extending tongue at each end of the rail, said tongue having an ear at its free end corresponding in size to a recess formed at the inner end of the tongue. When rails of this construction are placed together, the tongues thereof fit within corresponding cut-away portions in the adjoining ends, and the ears are seated within the recesses before referred to and serve to prevent sagging, as well as lateral movement of the ends of the rails.

The invention also consists in the further novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, showing the preferred form of my invention, and in which Figure 1 is a plan view of the adjoining ends of rails constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one end of a rail, and Fig. 3 is a similar view of the other end of said rail.

Referring to the figures by numerals of reference, 1 is a rail-joint the ends of whichare cut away at opposite sides to form tongues 2 and 2, the inner surfaces of which are inclined, as shown at 3. A preferably rectangular recess 4 is provided within the shoulder 5, which is formed by the cutting away of each end of the rail, and this recess extends downward, preferably about one-half the height of said shoulder. Extending longitudinally from the end of tongue 2 is an extension 6, equal in size to the recess 4 and Serial No. 152,220. (No model.)

preferably about one-half the height of said tongue. Apertures 7 are formed Within each tongue. The base 8 of the rail is cut away from under the tongue 2 and the shoulder 5, and the end of the base is beveled, .as shown at 9. The base extends from the opposite end of the rail a distance equal to the distance from shoulder 5 to the end 9, and this end is also beveled.

To join rails constructed in the manner herein described, it is merely necessary to draw the ends thereof together. Tongues 2 and 2 will overlap and shoulders 5 will abut, and the extensions 6 will be seated within and upon the bottoms of the recesses 4. The tongues can then be fastened together by means of bolts 10 or other suitable devices.

It will be seen that by providing rails of this, character the same may be joined without the use of fish-plates, and as the ends are supported by the extensions 6 within recesses 4 itis obvious that poundingwill be prevented. The extensions 6 also prevent lateral movement of the rails.

In the foregoing description I have shown the preferred form of my invention; butI do not limit myself thereto, as I am aware that modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof, and I therefore reserve the right to make such changes as fairly fall within the scope of my invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. A rail having its ends cut away at opposite sides to form similar tongues, an extension projecting longitudinally from the end of each tongue and equal in area to a recess at the inner end of said tongue, the base of the rail being cut away at one end and extended at the other.

2. In a rail-joint, the combination with a rail having its base cut away, a tongue extending longitudinally of the rail, ashoulder at the inner end of said tongue having a recess projecting thereinto from the top thereof, and a longitudinally-projecting extension at the free end of the tongue; of a railhavinga tongue extending longitudinally thereof, an

extended base to the rail adapted to abut mentioned rail, and means for securing the against the cut-away base of the first -mentongues together. 1o tioned rail, a shoulder at the inner end of the In testimony whereof I aflix my signature tongue having a recess extending thereinto in presence of two Witnesses.

from the top thereof to receive the extension of NILS A. ALM.

the first-mentioned rail,an extension upon the Witnesses:

tongue adapted to be seated Within and s'up- JOHN A. ALM,

ported by the bottom of the recess in the first- S. MELBY. 

